Month: November 2015

After I finished graduate school, I met my first love. Everything seemed to be going well. I finally had my degree, I was in love, I started my first full-time job as a teacher; life was peachy.

And then it wasn’t. I hated my job – I came home crying on a daily basis, and my first love left me. I felt like my whole world was falling apart.I started on a downward path of self-destruction. I wouldn’t go out, I would overeat, I wouldn’t even change out of my pajamas.

Reading through my false “I’m okays,” I received a much-needed visit
from my very best friend, Pam, who drove five hours to spend the weekend with me. During that time, she was in school to be an esthetician…after receiving an English degree and a self-declared minor in the natural sciences. I thought she was nuts for “wasting” her
degree. She didn’t care; she was happy, and she handed me Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson and her CD of Bruce Springsteen’s Greatest Hits. She simply said, “It’s time to Embrace Change.”

I read and I listened. I listened and I read. And the point became clear – everything changes; it always has, and it always will. Peter Barry, in Beginning Theory, summed it up with: “The only thing we know for certain is that we know nothing for certain.” It was time to embrace change, and that meant changing myself.

Changing ourselves is the hardest part, and what we truly fear. We fear that somehow we are incapable, or that the world won’t embrace our change, but the reality is, we are the masters of our own universe. We can change; we must make the choice to change.

One of my all-time favorite motivational songs comes from Matisyahu’s Spark Seeker; it’s called “Live Like a Warrior.” His lyrics include “Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Live like a Warrior.” Nothing rings truer when you want to make a change. In life, in business, in wherever or whatever you feel you need to change, you must let go of what was to allow what will be.

During this weekend, I decided to make the beginning of what will be some drastic changes to the structure of Candle Moments. I have decided that we will no longer offer 4oz candles, except by custom order. I also decided to eliminate some fragrances from our collections, as well as begin to eliminate dyes from our candles. I have a vision for Candle Moments which includes a more holistic approach to the full mind-body-spirit trifecta. Narrowing our focus is the beginning of crafting a full line of products meant to soothe, ease, and please all parts of the daily routine. To our customers, I ask you to embrace change by remembering our vision is to create a happier you. We are remaining true to our promise to protect all of Earth’s life by staying vegan, but aiming to produce an even more natural line of products. The only way we can move toward perfecting is by using the information we’ve learned during these last few months, and focusing on what works. You will see some changes right now, and more will roll out as we move into the new year.

We must harness our inner Rafiki (from The Lion King) and learn from our past, and then throw it in the fire.

Mermaids are elegant, graceful, mysterious, and magical. The majesty of mermaids have fascinated humankind for millenia. From the ancient Greek sea-nymphs, Hans Christen Andersen’s “Little Mermaid,” Disney’s Ariel, to Mako Mermaids, the concept of half-human, half-fish folklore still enchants us to this day.

The great appeal of Mermaids could be dated back to Homer’s Odyssey and the Sirens, but this is a mistake. The Sirens were bird-like land-living creatures who used their supernatural voices to lure sailors for food. While the perception of Mermaids changes dependent upon time-era and culture, the lure of their exotic existence persists because of the still vastly unexplored regions of our ocean.

We find the folklore of Mermaids entrancing, as we do all hybrid creatures, because of their knowledge of the deep unknown, because of their malleability, because we imagine they perceive our world the way a child does: with wonder.

I was only a child when Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” came out in theaters, but I immediately found a place and purpose. I wanted to be a Mermaid; I wanted their beauty and ability to pierce through water. As an adult, who teaches mythology, I understand the anthropological and deep-nested root of the human fascination of the unknown, but it has only added to my great love of Mermaids.

We now view Mermaids as part of the great aesthetic, and so we perpetuate the folklore because, as Arthur Cayley stated, “Beauty can be perceive
d but not explained.”

To honor the great beauty of Mermaids, and my inner child who still wishes to have fins, Candle Moments has created the Mermaid Candle,
which creates the mystery of Mermaid fins floating within, and the Mermaid Soap. Both scented with Jasmine and Lavender, flowers of the spirit, and our imaginings of the magic in Mermaids.

This stunning tablecloth, paired with our Trimming the Tree Candle, is sure to delight any host who loves to have family and friends over for the holidays. Bring the delicious smell of Christmas Tree right into your home (even if you have a faux tree), and blanket it with this perfectly accented tablecloth, you simply can’t go wrong.

For the Clean Freak – Satisfy Their Need for OrganizationI am such a fan of this Oxo Pop Container Set! I love having the precise space for all of my food items, knowing their safe and clean. I store my sugar, spaghetti, flour, cereal, and so much more in these containers. The perfect pairing would be the Funky Fresh Citrus Odor Eliminating Candle. For that person who just can’t stand even the faintest hint of disorder, you know he/she would want to eliminate the funk in his/her home!

For the Wine EnthusiastEvery wine lover adores trying a new bottle. This sweet red is a mouthful of ripe cherry and raspberry that will tingle the palate. The finish is so silky smooth, it leaves you wanting more. A perfect pairing with our Sophisticated Indulgence Candle, which embodies raspberry jam, chocolate, and just a hint of patchouli for spice.

Happy Holidays!

As a special note of gratitude, we want to share a unique discount code validNovember 27th – November 30th

Take 25% Off Your Total Order

SHOPSMALLCM

Flat Rate $6 Shipping or Free Shipping on $100+ Free Delivery in Staten Island, New York

When you use this code to make a purchase, and sign up for our free Newsletter, you will be automatically entered into our December Sweepstakes for aFREE CANDLE WARMER! As an additional special feature,
we will be putting a different item ON SALE each day!
Use with your coupon code!

Remember to Shop Small Business this Holiday Season to Support your Local Community #ShopSmall

Are you weary about burning wicked-candles? Maybe you don’t always remember to extinguish your candles and you’re concerned about creating a hazard? Maybe you’re not interested in committing to one scent for extended periods of time? Perhaps you wish to burn candles, but are in an environment where open flames are not permitted? Or maybe you don’t like the smoke that comes along with burning candles?

If this sounds like you, then you may be interested in owning a Wax Warmer. Wax Warmers commonly use electricity to melt wax tartlets. Wax Warmers are generally very easy to use; most of them just require a basic two-piece set-up, but they offer hours of extended scent release.

The Benefits of Wax Warmers:

They don’t require any extinguishing – You just shut off the power.

You can layer many scents by dropping in various scented soy tartlets.

They don’t require any open flames.

They can stay on for extended periods of time (as long as you have enough wax in them).

Open the packaging and separate the different pieces (there are two). Make sure you are choosing an area that is heat-resistant, and out of the reach of children and pets (these plates get very hot).

2. Place the included dish onto the hot plate. (Do not just use any dish; these dishes are specially coated for wax and oils). Plug in your warmer, and turn the switch to “on.” When you see the red light on, you know your warmer is on and ready for some tartlets!

Whether you have teenage guys or adult guys to shop for, this list is perfect for you. I have taken a survey from about 30 guys with ages ranging between 17-50 to find out what gifts they want for the holidays, and here’s the awesome list!

Amazon Prime Members enjoy FREE two day shipping on every order, with no minimums. They have access to movies and television programs, including exclusive-to-Amazon shows like Alpha House and Transparent. They also enjoy thousands of free books on Kindle Lending Library, Prime Music, and Prime Photos!

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Enjoy more than 38 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, apps and games

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Up to 8 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video, and listening to music

Updated user interface – Fire OS 5 designed for quick access to your apps and content plus personalized recommendations that make it easy to discover new favorites

Stylish, sleek, roomy, reliable, and sturdy, the North Face never fails to create quality gear perfectly designed for everyday use, or for outdoor adventures. The Borealis Backpack is bigger than it’s counterpart, The Jester, and includes a padded space for a laptop or tablet.

Today’s blog will be amazing gifts in the spirit of Shop Small Saturday (officially November 28, 2015), with homage to my home-state of New York. All of the items on this list are derived from small businesses located in New York State.

Now an instant #1 New York Times bestseller, Humans of New York began in the summer of 2010, when photographer Brandon Stanton set out to create a photographic census of New York City. Armed with his camera, he began crisscrossing the city, covering thousands of miles on foot, all in an attempt to capture New Yorkers and their stories. The result of these efforts was a vibrant blog he called “Humans of New York,” in which his photos were featured alongside quotes and anecdotes.

Dashing through the snow… We almost got carried away there! The Holiday Bundle embodies all of the best of our holiday collection in special 16oz Apothecary Jars! Choose two scents for $42 in our special Holiday Bundle! (These are Limited Edition, so only while supplies last.)

These pendants are handcrafted & made to order, they will normally ship within 48 hours after purchase. When you purchase this listing you will receive 1 Bronze pendant, and 1 matching chain. This beautiful pendant is 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter and has a Bronze bezel. The art work is sealed under a clear round glass cabochon. Pendants are available in silver, bronze, gold or black metal finish.

This listing is for ONE 12oz latte mug. The upper left state is “Location 1” which is connected with a dotted line to “Location 2” (the bottom right state). On the back is “You’re my person”, followed by a heart. If this is a gift being sent to someone, I’d be more than happy to include a handwritten note for you at no extra charge. Just let us know what you would like it to say! ——- These mugs are custom designed! Therefore, there may be some variation from the pictures shown above. THIS DESIGN IS NOW DISHWASHER SAFE!

These may be the most delicious desserts you have ever come across. The Nutella Dreams Beansie Truffles are a burst of delicious Nutella wrapped in a gorgeous chocolate swirled truffle. Perfect for any foodie or as a host gift.

Think back to the best skin related experience you ever had. Was it a hug from your Mom? Was it a gentle touch from your spouse? I bet if it felt rough and dry or soft to the touch you’d remember that, too. Why not make every skin touching experience, soft. And silky. And nourishing. And pampering.

That’s how Oilz+™ Shea Butter Lotion makes your skin feel every single time. And don’t forget, as the weather gets colder and drier, your skin needs extra moisture. Best time to use is right out of the shower or bath.
9. Goat Milk Soap by Algena Soap – $6.00 per bar

Decadent in its simplicity-creamy goat’s milk creates a rich and incredibly emollient bar that is perfect for even the most sensitive skin.

Twig’s DIY Terrarium Kit includes everything you need to make a gallon sized container (with enough leftover for one or two tiny terrariums!). Kit comes complete with high quality ingredients designed for use with terrarium plants, detailed instructions, and even a tiny person to populate your new little green world!

Stay tuned for the next update on awesome gifts to get this holiday season!

We’ve all got that person on our list; the person who always has the latest gadgets, the newest clothes, the swankiest house-wear. We love hanging out with this person because he/she is always “in-the-know,” and seems to be one step ahead of the rest of the world. What’s annoying about this person…trying to buy the perfect holiday gift!

What do you buy the person who seems to have everything? You buy items that are fun, unique, and independent. Sometimes these perfect gifts are hard to find, so I’ve comprised a list of some of the coolest items the web has to offer, for even the toughest people on your list.

Christmas Surprise Bath Bomb. Scented with a minty combination of spearmint, peppermint and Christmas tree pine this bomb ass bath bomb will reset your attitude and the little surprise inside will put you back in the Christmas spirit. Which Christmas collectible will you get? A Santa, A Snowman, or Christmas tree? It is a totally random surprise! Collect them all!

WOW your friends and family with a uniquely creative soap. You provide your favorite picture, logo, monograms or saying and it will be printed on a special water soluble paper that will be embedded in the soap. Such a memorable and useful gift!! You’ll be the talk of the town. Showcase your style with a twist.

In the 2nd Edition of How to Self-Publish: A Guide for Author-preneurs, author Kayla Fioravanti shares with you how to turn blogs, teaching handouts, e-books and ideas into self-published On Demand books that can go straight to online bookstores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble with little to no costs. Kayla walks with you step-by-step through the eBook and On Demand book publishing process. She provides the tools, resources, and steps necessary to build a platform, write a book, publish and promote it. Kayla will remove the barriers and fears commonly associated with becoming an author and empower you to create long term income.

What’s cooler than lotion and a candle in one? The Refresh and Renew Candles are moisturizing Lotion and Massage Candles. There are NO DYES in these candle. Formulated with pure Soy, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Vitamin E Oil, and Sea Fragrance Oil (Refresh) or Aroma Spa Fragrance Oil (Renew), this candle is meant to be burned and the liquid used as a skin body lotion. This formula is very moisturizing and thick, best used after a bath or in the evening to Refresh and renew your skin. This is perfect for extremely rough skin areas like dry cuticles, dry elbows, worn hands.

5. Unicorn Poop Soap by Outlaw Soaps – $14.00 (one bar) on AmazonUnicorn Poop soap is a Willy Wonka-style layered assortment of scents BY COLOR, including a non-specific range of birthday cake, blueberry muffin, cola, butterscotch, and vanilla (the flavors change all the time, though). Our soaps are formulated with an all-vegan combination of oils that is both delightfully sudsy in the shower and leaves your skin silky smooth.

Amazon Echo is designed around your voice. It’s hands-free and always on. With seven microphones and beam-forming technology, Echo can hear you from across the room—even while music is playing. Echo is also an expertly tuned speaker that can fill any room with immersive sound. Echo connects to Alexa, a cloud-based voice service, to provide information, answer questions, play music, read the news, check sports scores or the weather, and more—instantly. All you have to do is ask.

The Miracle-Gro AeroGarden 7 LED is the extraordinary soil-free indoor garden that grows plants 5 times faster than soil. Grow fresh herbs, vegetables, salad greens, flowers and more… let your imagination grow wild! The easy-to-use Control Panel automatically creates optimal conditions for your plants by turning the Grow Lights on and off and reminding you when to add our patented, specially formulated Liquid Nutrients. The AeroGarden 7 LED can be set up in minutes – just insert the Seed Pods in your garden, add water and nutrients, and then watch it grow! Now you can garden indoors, year round, and your plants are Guaranteed to Grow!

The wait is over! A perfect scrub for MEN and WOMEN alike! This amazing scrub’s intended use is forface,for body,and for shaving! Crafted with Sugar, Shea Butter, and Plant-Oils, then quadruple-whipped for softness, you can’t beat this scrub! All you do is wet the skin, scoop some up, spread, and scrub gently in circular motions. Rinse off thoroughly, and leave the remaining oil on as a moisturizer, or use it for a perfect shave! This is unscented, so perfect for people who have allergies.

Beautiful hand-crafted bead jewelry custom designed in length and color. Stacy listens to your wants and wishes, then creatively designs the perfect jewelry just for you. A true artist with you in mind.

Now you can whiten your teeth naturally with obvious results after even one use…without harmful chemicals, peroxide, or tooth sensitivity. Harnessing the power of activated bamboo carbon, bamboo stem fibers, neem, papain, bentonite clay, and Himalayan salt to clean, whiten, freshen breath, detox, remineralize teeth, and support oral health. Just use once per week and see and feel the difference!

I hope you got some great ideas for gifts for the holidays! I hope to write another blog post like this in the future with awesome deals I find around the web. If you have anything to share, I invite you to do so below.

There is a standing tradition of offering favors to guests of large occasion parties, such as weddings, showers, bar/bat mitzvahs, sweet sixteens, communions, and more. It is a final send-off for the host to demonstrate his/her hospitality by appreciating the presence of his/her guests.

From packaging to product, favors also make that final statement about you (as a couple, if they’re wedding favors), and the way you want to be remembered. Pictured are our wedding favors. We wanted to come across as elegant and practical; our favor was a two-space ceramic appetizer dish.

When you’re considering what type of favor to purchase for your party, there are several factors you should consider:

Quality

Practicality

Functionality

Presentation

Price

First and foremost is quality. We once went to a wedding where the bride distributed these huge, elaborate ceramic salad bowl favors. They were beautiful, but so many people shared with one another about how their bowls were cracked. Just because it looked rich, doesn’t mean there was actual quality behind it. It’s better to go small, but go good.

Practicality and Functionality work in tandem. You want to give a favor that is useful in every day life. While a single-person tea cup appears adorable, most people will never, ever use it. It may be functional, but it’s not practical. A reverse example would be a small statue. It may be very easy for me to carry, but all it will do is collect dust because it has no function. Neither practical nor functional is anything that has your names and date engraved on it. It may be cute for your parents, but I won’t serve my Sunday sauce with a big spoon with your name engraved on it.

Presentation is always key. You have to think about the vision of your event and the type of packaging that is associated with it. You also want some type of label, on the outside, listing the event. The label is where it’s nice for you to proudly have your names displayed. Color coordinate with your theme, and opt for high glosses to create an elegant feel.

Finally, you must consider price. Remember to factor in the cost of packaging and the labor of packaging. Some services will offer to package, but it’s usually at a fee. If you’re looking to save some extra money, try packaging it yourself. Also consider that you will always need to buy a few more than you think, just in case of damages and in case people decide to give you gifts later. Plus, you probably want to keep some for yourself.

Candle Moments offers full-service favor customization and packaging. If you’re interested in any of our products as favors, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It is the first defender against the evil microbes of our environment, and it is the least protected. While our skin is beautifully created to take on the cold, the heat, scrapes, nicks, and scratches, and still heal, much like our soul, it gets by with a little help from friends.

The first step to giving your skin some love is to exfoliate. Exfoliation is the removal of dead skin cells from the surface of the skin through the process of abrasion. Some abrasives are harsh, and use chemicals, while others are milder, and are usually mechanically used through the process of scrubbing.

The second process of loving your skin back is through moisturizing. It is important to use the right moisturizer for your skin type, but it’s also important to realize you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to make that happen. (More about this later.) Moisturizing your skin allows for better circulation, which helps create new skin cells; it helps repair damaged skin, and it also helps protect your skin from the harsh environment.

If you spend a lot of time outside, it’s important to also use SPF to protect your skin from the sun’s harsh rays. It is a well-known fact that over-exposure to sun can leave your skin dry and leathery, but it is also possible to develop melanoma. Some skin-care products offer SPF as part of their moisturizer, but be mindful that the SPF you choose needs to block against both UVA and UVB rays, and oftentimes, moisturizer-combo-sun-care only protects against one or the other.

Finally, it’s important to know exactly what is going on your skin. Be mindful of products labeled “natural,” while they may be “natural,” the word “natural” simply means derived from nature. To give you an understanding of how this can be misleading: Poison-ivy is “natural,” but it doesn’t mean you should put it on your body. Read your ingredient labels!

That’s why Candle Moments invented The Triple Scrubby. The Triple Scrubby is a hand-crafted, vegan, cruelty-free scrub made of Granulated Sugar, Refined Shea Butter, Mineral Oil, Sunflower Oil, Safflower Oil, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Sesame Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Olive Oil, Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate), Vitamin A (Retinyl Palimitate), and Fractionated Coconut Oil . It is super-whipped to be extra soft on the skin, and has been specially formulated to be used on the body, the face, and for shaving. It is unscented, and perfect for both men and women!

How it Works: The sugar acts as a (gentle) abrasive for exfoliating, the shea butter acts as a deep moisturizer, and the plant oils both moisturize and protect the skin. First, wet your skin, then you take a small amount of The Triple Scrubby and spread it, use gentle, circular motions to exfoliate. Finally, rinse off thoroughly, and leave the remaining moisturizing oils on the skin. If you plan on shaving, use the remaining oils on your skin after rinsing for shaving.

We love this product, and we both use it, because of how gentle it is. We love sharing this product with our customers because of how cost-effective it is. With only using The Triple Scrubby, you can eliminate separate costs for a product to exfoliate, a moisturizer, and shaving cream. *We still suggest you use a separate SPF cream, and highly recommend the Clinique Face Cream SPF 50 with Solar Smart.